


Rising Sun

by Blackghost7



Category: NCIS
Genre: First Kiss, Getting Together, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-05
Updated: 2015-11-05
Packaged: 2018-04-30 04:24:20
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,861
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5150135
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blackghost7/pseuds/Blackghost7
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"I'm happy right here, Tony."</p>
            </blockquote>





	Rising Sun

**Author's Note:**

> Walking in somewhere, in the background I heard the song The House of the Rising Sun (the version by The Animals). Just a few lines struck me as relating to Tony, and a fic was born ;) While this is not a songfic, a few lines are taken from the song (not mine, duh…). I hope you like! :)

Tony's first visit to their colleagues of the NCIS New Orleans office lasted only a day, and consisted mostly of him traipsing around a contaminated ship dressed in a Hazmat suit, chasing after rats. In all honesty, while he normally would have liked to spend some more time in the city and do some sightseeing, the activities of the day were enough to make him shudder and feel glad that Gibbs had insisted Tony return that same night to DC when he had called the man to report on what had happened.

His second visit, however, lasted a couple of days, and when the case he and Gibbs were assisting with was closed, Tony decided to go out on the town on their last afternoon and evening there. Tony knocked on Gibbs' hotel room door, smiling brightly at Gibbs when the door opened.

"Hey, Boss? Wanna come out with me?"

"Out?"

"Yeah, you know, look around a little? Get a few drinks?"

"I've seen the town, DiNozzo."

"Even better! You can show me around!"

Gibbs sighed.

"I gotta check in with the director and the team, DiNozzo. And I have reports to read."

"Aw, come on, Boss. You can call Vance and the probies while we're out playing tourist. And those reports can wait until tomorrow. Please?"

"We have an early flight back tomorrow morning. Can't go partying all night."

"Of course not. No one said anything about partying! I just wanna see something of the town, and get just a few drinks. We don't have to make night of it…"

The hopeful look and pleading pout nearly made Gibbs give in. Nearly.

"No. I've got work to do."

At Tony's disappointed face, Gibbs sighed again.

"You go. Check in with me later. And if I finish early enough, maybe I'll join you then for a drink."

That made Tony's face light up a little, and he nodded.

"Okay, Boss. Talk to you later then."

Gibbs shook his head with a soft smile on his face at Tony's enthusiasm as he closed the door after he had watched the younger man set off with a spring in his step.

 

Tony spent the remainder of the afternoon exploring the town, taking pictures of the local landmarks he visited, and had a beer or two when he came across an inviting looking bar. Then he checked in with Gibbs.

"Yeah. Gibbs."

"Hey, Boss! You done yet? Coming to join me?"

"Not yet, DiNozzo. Still got reports."

"Oh."

The disappointed silence that followed gave Gibbs a soft pang in his chest, and he cleared his throat before he spoke.

"See anything interesting?"

He could almost hear Tony's surprise at the question, but Tony recovered quickly and he started telling Gibbs about the sites he had visited so far, and the other things he still wanted to see. Gibbs let him ramble for a few minutes, then broke in.

"Gotta go back to my reports now, DiNozzo. Check in again in an hour or two."

"Okay, Boss."

 

About an hour after the call, Gibbs tossed the remainder of his reports aside and rubbed his hands over his face. He hadn't been able to concentrate, Tony's hopeful tone when he asked Gibbs to join him and his happy voice when he told Gibbs about what he had seen that afternoon distracting the older man. That had been happening more and more lately, and Gibbs knew why. Ever since he had gotten shot in Iraq and had been stuck at home convalescing for a few months, he had been thinking a lot about the future and change, like Kelly had told him to in his dream state during the surgery. And the future revolved mainly around Tony. Ducky had had it just about right when he talked to Gibbs about it, but the ME had only hit upon one aspect of it. Yes, he was thinking about the future of the team and the work, and Tony in that context, but that wasn't all of it. There was the personal side as well, and when Ducky had said that while Gibbs may have changed his perspective, Tony might not be ready for that, in Gibbs' mind that had been mainly on the personal level that Ducky didn't even know about. 

But then again, something was different about Tony as well. He had been seeking Gibbs out to talk, had been thinking a lot about family lately, seemed to have been subtly pushing for something. He had been showing up at Gibbs' place more often then ever before, tried coaxing him out of his basement and go somewhere with Tony, a game, the gun range, a restaurant. And more and more, Gibbs was giving in. Today was yet another example. Not very long ago, if Gibbs had said no to Tony's request to look around New Orleans a little, Tony would have shrugged and set off on his own immediately. But now, he was persisting, wheedling, trying again, not giving up at the first refusal. Tony seemed to want to spend more time with Gibbs outside of work, and was not easily taking no for an answer.

Taking a decision, Gibbs took a quick shower and changed, and ordered a quick bite from room service to eat while he waited for Tony to check in again.

 

Tony stopped dead in his tracks and laughed out loud when he saw the name on the faded sign on the house. The Rising Sun. Immediately, the song came to mind and he started humming it unconsciously while he eyed the premises. It seemed to be a tavern of some sort, and in his mind's eye he conjured up the inside lined with gambling tables and prostitutes. Too curious and amused to pass this up, Tony quickly took the few steps up the wrap-around porch and made his way inside. It was nothing like he had imagined only short moments before, but it looked like a friendly place with a well stocked bar, and he decided to have a drink here so he could tell the probies all about it when he returned to DC. 

It was still very early in the evening, but the tavern already held quite a few patrons who all seemed to be having a good time. Finding an empty stool at the bar, Tony sat down and ordered himself a drink. Checking his watch, he took out his phone.

"Yeah. Gibbs."

"Hey, Boss, me again. Checking in."

"Hey, Tony. Still out and about?"

"Yep. You won't believe where I am now!"

When nothing further was forthcoming, Gibbs chuckled silently. This was Tony's way of getting Gibbs to participate more in their conversations than just a few grunts.

"Okay… Where are you?"

"You're not gonna guess?"

"Nope. Tell me."

"The House of the Rising Sun, Boss! There really is a House of the Rising Sun in New Orleans! Isn't that great?"

This time, Gibbs let his chuckle be heard.

"I know the place. Nice little tavern."

Taking a sip from his drink, Tony nodded even though he knew Gibbs couldn't see it.

"It is. Good drinks too."

After another short silence, Tony continued, trying once more.

"Wanna come join me, Jethro?"

Gibbs blinked when he heard Tony use his given name instead of his usual Boss or Gibbs, and then he smiled to himself.

"Yeah… Yeah, I think I want to."

Gibbs heard a sharp intake of breath on the line, and when Tony's voice reached his ear again, it sounded a little hoarse and almost husky.

"I'd like that, Jethro."

"Then sit tight, Tony. I'll be there shortly."

Hanging up, smiling to himself, Gibbs wasted no time and made his way downstairs, where he caught a cab in front of the hotel and gave the cabbie his destination.

 

Putting away his phone and taking another sip from his drink, Tony couldn't suppress the smile on his face, even though his heart was pounding in his chest. Gibbs was actually coming to him! Tony took a few deep breaths to calm himself down, finished his drink, and ordered another. Slowly sipping at it, Tony let his thoughts wander a little. 

There was something different about Gibbs lately, and he didn't just mean the hair and the new wardrobe, even though Tony could only wholeheartedly approve of those. Things had been tense between them when Tony had returned from Shanghai after the whole thing with the Calling and Budd, and at first Tony's attempts to talk to Gibbs about it had been rebuked. And when Gibbs had questioned Tony's reasons for still being on his team and maybe even being at NCIS, at first Tony had been shocked. But it had started him thinking a lot about things, not just about work, but about family, and about Gibbs. And really, it wasn't a startling conclusion to come to that to Tony, family and Gibbs were actually the same thing. Not that Tony was dismissing Senior as family, he was genuinely pleased that their relationship had improved somewhat, but that wasn't the kind of family that he meant in this context. His team, McGee and Bishop, Abby, Ducky and Palmer, they were the family he had found at NCIS, and in many respects that family meant more to Tony than his blood relatives. He saw them almost every day, and knew he could always count on them. And at the heart of that family was Gibbs. 

Tony had always gravitated towards Gibbs, from the very first time they met, and he had always been attracted to the man on many different levels. They'd had their ups and downs over the past fifteen years, how could they not have with everything that had happened to them, but they only came out stronger in the end. Reflecting on his relationship with Gibbs, Tony admitted to himself that it was the most important relationship he'd ever had in his life, the one that meant the most to him. That Gibbs meant the most to him. The answer to Gibbs' questions was actually pretty simple: Tony's reason for still being on his team, for still being at NCIS, was Gibbs. And he knew that he would never be able to give that up, in fact, he only wanted more. More of Gibbs. More from Gibbs. 

So after Tony had settled his mind about that, he had sought Gibbs out in his basement. It didn't happen overnight, it was a slow process, but gradually they became closer, even if they never spoke about reasons again. Slowly but surely, Tony came to know exactly what he wanted. And then he set out to try and discover whether it was something Gibbs wanted too. So Tony started trying to get Gibbs out of his basement, trying to see if they could move their relationship to another level. And more and more, Gibbs was responding, letting Tony take him places. Tony didn't want to call them dates, but really that was what he was doing. Dating Gibbs. Tony smirked to himself. Who would have thought that at this time in his life, Tony would be dating a guy, his boss, Gibbs? And did Gibbs realize that that was what he was doing? Normally, Tony would kiss his dates, or at least touch them, hold their hand, play with their fingers, but obviously nothing like that had happened with Gibbs. Would they ever get to that stage? 

Ordering another drink, Tony checked the time. Gibbs would probably be arriving soon if he was coming by taxi, and Tony tried to make up his mind. He had been the one to cause the change in their relationship, and even though lately Tony thought he had been seeing signs that they were actually getting to the same page, he also felt that Gibbs would not be the one to push for more. Gibbs was leaving it up to Tony, and so if Tony wanted more, he would have to be the one to go for it, make it clear what he wanted. And wasn't that a daunting prospect? If he tried something tonight, would it ruin everything they had? He smirked to himself again, the song coming back to mind. The House of the Rising Sun has been the ruin of many a poor boy - Tony smiled - and God, I know I'm one. Yeah, Tony would try tonight. He could always blame it on the tavern and the drinks if things went wrong.

 

Gibbs paid the cabbie and got out, looking up at the sign on the tavern, and smiled as the glee in Tony's voice when he had told Gibbs where he was echoed in his mind. Walking up the porch and stepping inside, Gibbs let his eyes search the crowd, easily finding Tony at the bar. Tony looked contemplative but determined, and Gibbs wondered for a moment what that was about. The younger man had sounded so happy earlier, and Gibbs hoped nothing had happened to change his mood. He quietly walked up and stood behind Tony, leaning into him a little, then softly spoke into Tony's ear.

"Gonna let this place ruin you, poor boy?"

Startled, both by Gibbs' sudden presence and by the question that echoed perfectly what he had been thinking only a moment before, Tony nearly jumped, then laughed.

"Hey, Jethro. Glad you're here."

Surprised by Tony's initial reaction, but pleased to hear the laughter, especially seeing that the joy reached his eyes, Gibbs nodded.

"Me too, Tony."

He held Tony's gaze for a moment, then sidled up to the bar next to Tony and signaled the bartender to order a drink. Tony turned on his stool so he could face Gibbs without having to crane his neck, and smiled to himself when the crowd pushed Gibbs closer to him, so the man was standing between his legs. When Gibbs had his drink, they toasted each other and sipped. 

"Reports all done?"

"Close enough."

Another sip.

"So, what else did you see before you found this place?"

Tony smiled, and started telling Gibbs more about his sightseeing adventures, making him smile and even laugh a few times. When someone bumped into Gibbs in an attempt to get to the bar, Tony put his hand on Gibbs' side, just above his hip, to steady him. Gibbs just stared at him for a moment, then ordered them more drinks, and told Tony to continue with his tale. Tony left his hand where it was, occasionally brushing his thumb softly over the smooth material of Gibbs' dress shirt.

After a while of sharing stories, Gibbs telling about the times he had visited New Orleans before, Tony's cheeks suddenly flamed up in a blush. Gibbs raised an eyebrow at him in question.

"I'm sorry, Jethro! I should have offered you my seat! I mean… your knee…"

But when Tony tried to get up so they could exchange positions, Gibbs pushed him back down with a firm hand on Tony's thigh, inching imperceptibly closer still so his hips were now snugly between Tony's thighs.

"I'm happy right here, Tony."

Tony swallowed, then smiled. Maybe he'd been wrong, maybe he hadn't been the only one making moves. 

"I'm happy with you right there too, Jethro."

And when Tony followed that with a wink, Gibbs smiled a broad smile at him that took Tony's breath away. Their eyes locked on each other, and they just stared in silence for a while. Then Tony cleared his throat.

"You know, this place is actually kind of fitting for me…"

"Yeah? How so, Tony?"

"Well, my father is a gambling man, and I've spent my life in sin and misery…"

Gibbs put his hand on the back of Tony's neck, his thumb brushing softly along the short hairs on the back of Tony's head.

"Misery?"

Tony unsuccessfully tried to suppress a shiver of pleasure at the touch.

"Maybe misery is a bit strong…"

"Tony? Don't you think that maybe… it's time to be happy?"

"I'd like to be happy, I want to be happy…"

"Anything I can do to help you with that?"

Tony swallowed, but answered honestly.

"Everything, Jethro. It has everything to do with you."

Holding Tony's eyes with his own for a long time, Gibbs finally nodded and smiled again, then blindly threw some bills onto the bar to settle their tab.

"It has everything to do with you for me too, Tony. The future."

Then Gibbs grabbed his hand and dragged Tony off the bar stool and out of the tavern, hailing a cab and directing it back to their hotel, all before Tony's brain had a chance to fully catch up. The ride back to the hotel was silent, but every now and then they glanced at each other and exchanged soft smiles when they caught each other's eyes. Once inside, they crossed the lobby and waited for the elevator impatiently. Finding it empty, Tony reached out and took Gibbs' hand in his, lacing their fingers together. When the doors opened, Tony pulled Gibbs with him, leading him to his room, and let them inside. As Gibbs walked to the middle of the room, Tony closed the door and leaned back against it, his eyes raking over Gibbs' body. Gibbs smiled.

"Come here, Tony."

Taking a deep breath, Tony pushed away from the door and slowly walked over to Gibbs, stopping only when he was so close to the man that their chests almost touched. Reaching out, Tony slid his hands from Gibbs' hips up over his chest to his shoulders, and then over the sides of his neck into Gibbs' hair, their eyes locked the entire time. Feeling Gibbs' hands coming to rest on his hips, Tony smiled that small smile again, and then closed the distance between their lips.

It was soft and chaste at first, a gentle touch of lips against lips, but then Gibbs opened up and allowed Tony's tongue inside, letting him taste and tasting Tony in return. It didn't last long before the heat between them forced the passion to explode, and the gentle kiss turned into an inferno of lips and teeth and tongues. Pulling each other closer still, their hips met, and Gibbs' hands slid from Tony's sides to his ass, pulling him flush against Gibbs. When at last they broke apart, both were panting with excitement and desire.

"Jethro…?"

Gibbs brought up one hand to cup the side of Tony's face, brushing his thumb over Tony's cheek. The look in his eyes was intense, but surprisingly open.

"You make me happy, Anthony."

The small smile Tony gave him meant more to Gibbs than all of his thousand watt ones combined, because this little smile showed Gibbs exactly how Tony felt, how he felt about Gibbs. It was heartwarming and a little overwhelming, but Gibbs wasn't going to shy away from it, not anymore. Tony was his future.

Pulling Tony closer again, Gibbs pressed his lips softly against Tony's smiling ones, letting him feel how much Tony meant to him. The sparkle in Tony's eyes clearly told Gibbs that the message was received and understood, and Tony returned the gentle kiss with one of his own, conveying the depth of his own feelings for Gibbs. 

While Gibbs started unbuttoning Tony's shirt, Tony pressed soft kisses to his face and neck. With Tony's shirt gone, Gibbs caressed Tony's chest with his fingers while Tony in turn removed Gibbs' shirt. They undressed each other unhurriedly in between kisses and touches, taking the time to explore and letting the desire between them slowly build to a raging fire. When Tony, in a quick move, toppled them both onto the bed, they laughed, Gibbs at the playfulness of it and Tony with glee that he'd been able to take Gibbs down. 

"You know, now that I know a couple of really hot kisses distract you enough for me to be able to drop you, sparring at the gym is gonna be far more equal."

"Don't count on it, Tony. Now shut up and kiss me again."

"On it, Jethro."

"Whatever happened to 'Boss'?"

"Oh, you're not my Boss here, Jethro."

Staring down at the confident, beautiful man beneath him for a few moments, Gibbs smiled again and nodded.

"No, I'm really not, Tony."

Then he leaned down and kissed Tony again. They became a tangled mass of limbs and slid together in sensuous pleasure as they kissed and touched, rolling over now and then to switch positions. Gibbs stilled completely for a moment on a quiet groan when Tony reached between them and held the two of them together in a strong grip. Their eyes locked again when Tony started long, slow strokes, sharing the same breath as their gazes bored into each other. Gibbs' hands started roaming over Tony's back and sides, squeezing the strong muscles underneath the silky skin as they moved together. Tony moaned in pleasure at the strength of the touches, both of Gibbs' hands and his own. This wasn't soft and gentle, it was loving and powerful, just like they were. When the explosion finally came, their breaths hitched almost violently, and Tony locked their lips together again in a deep and passionate kiss. 

 

When Tony woke up, he was alone. He knew he shouldn't have been surprised, and really, he wasn't, but he couldn't help a small flicker of doubt creeping in. He quickly showered and shaved, packed his bag, and went down for a quick breakfast. Gibbs was nowhere in sight. Tony only caught up with the man again when he checked out at the front desk at the previously agreed time. Gibbs was silent during the ride in the cab to the airport, silent when they checked in, silent while they settled in their seats and waited for take off. Gibbs was reading reports, completely ignoring him, and the tiny doubt that had surfaced when Tony had woken up, flared bigger and bigger with each passing minute.

"Boss?"

Silence.

"Gibbs?"

More silence. Tony cleared his throat.

"Jethro?"

Gibbs looked up from his reports and gazed at Tony.

"Yeah, Tony?"

"Are we… are we… good?"

And then there was that soft smile again, and Gibbs took Tony's hand in his, interlacing their fingers. Bringing their hands to his mouth for a short moment, Gibbs pressed a tiny kiss to Tony's hand, then lowered them back between their seats again, his eyes already back on his reports.

"I think we're just about perfect, Tony."

Tony's lips twitched upwards for a moment, and then he relaxed back into his seat, letting his fingers softly play with Gibbs', and when they were in the air and he glanced over at his lover, he saw the small smile still there. Yeah, they were good, they were perfect. They were right. 

And Tony rolled his head back to the window, his fingers still softly caressing Gibbs', and looked at the clouds they were passing over in flight. The House of the Rising Sun had been the ruin of many a poor boy, but now Tony knew for certain that he wasn't one of them.


End file.
